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International Exchanges are a great way to learn about different languages, cultures and geography. Learn how suburban Atlanta and Ottawa students crossed virtual borders to fuel their 21st century learning.

The first Nortel LearniT-sponsored bilingual Canada/US e-learning videocast took place between English and French-speaking middle schoolers in began April 2008, followed by a second sessions in May. This ongoing activity is designed to increase student's awareness of students around the world and their similarities and differences via a periodic face-to-face video/audio exchange.

Webb Bridge eighth graders (Alpharetta, GA) and students at École secondaire catholique Franco-Cité, Ottawa, conversed, in true exchange spirit, each in the other's language. Initial participants were six eighth grade level classes, totaling some 150 students in the two collaborating countries. As part of the exchange, each student presented a collage they had prepared introducing themself to the groups joined via audio and video connection via Nortel Multimedia Communication Server (MCS) technology.

Border to Border Bilingual e-Learning: Canadian, US (Atlanta) Students Web-Collaborate

Mission

The Nortel LearniT-fostered, cross-border, classroom-to-classroom bilingual collaborative learning exchanges that have excited and engaged US and Canadian middle schoolers are in their very successful second year. The latest exchange, December 11, 2008, connected over 175 enthusiastic language learners in Chapleau, Canada, and Alpharetta, Georgia. Mitch Simcoe, Nortel LearniT Ambassador, announces that this latest English/French Border to Border video language learning exchange between Webb Bridge Middle School (GA) and l'école secondaire catholique Trillium in (CA) had participation spanning 5 class sessions. Using the Nortel Multimedia Communication Server (MCS) web collaboration tool to control the slides presented on each side helped the presentations to flow and made it easy for students to follow. The students said that they liked the video aspect as well so they could see each other in real time.
Step inside the classrooms to see this dynamic learning event taking place between:

--Chapleau and Atlanta students.

--Ottawa and Atlanta students

-- Learn who helped it all take place and the parts they played
Chapleau-Atlanta Exchange

How it worked: The students did an overview of themselves using Powerpoint and it was all presented in French. Q&A sessions followed in English. The students were surprised to discover that their interests on both sides of the border were quite similar. For the Atlanta students, it was powerful to communicate with native speaking French students of a similar age and hear the variation in accents of the Canadian students compared to the way they were taught.

What they shared: View some examples of the the students' multimedia presentations:

Chapleau presentation 2Next steps: There is a follow-up session planned for February 3, 2009, where the same classes will present their homes and interests using photos and discuss what the images represent. Future sessions will include videos they will shoot and present of their communities.

Alpharetta teacher Jamie Patterson's comments:

"The exchange was fabulous! My students had never experienced anything like this before, and many were amazed that they could see and talk to people so far away LIVE. It was a great opportunity for them to hear French spoken with an accent very different from mine. The students also learned that even though our culture and community may not be similar, the interests of the students are in many cases very similar. By presenting and looking at PowerPoint presentations, we were able to better understand second language usage and to see differences, or the lack thereof, in levels of technology experience. We really look forward to continuing this program."

The Webb Bridge School, Atlanta, Georgia and Ottawa, Canada, Nortel LearniT sponsored bilingual Canada/US e-learning videocasts between English and French-speaking middle schoolers began April 2008, followed by a second sessions in May. This ongoing activity is designed to increase student's awareness of students around the world and their similarities and differences via a monthly face-to-face video/audio exchange.

Webb Bridge eighth graders (Alpharetta, GA) and students at École secondaire catholique Franco-Cité, Ottawa, conversed, in true exchange spirit, each in the other's language. Initial participants were six eighth grade level classes, totaling some 150 students in the two collaborating countries.

Webb Bridge Principal Elizabeth Fogartie opened the first day at her location by announcing that the Nortel LearniT-sponsored change would take place.

As part of the exchange, each student presented a collage they had prepared introducing themself to the groups joined via audio and video connection via Nortel Multimedia Communication Server (MCS) technology.

o The guide shows how to create and implement a technologized learning outreach activity. Depending on the countries, this can also allow students to apply their second language skills with native speaking students in the other country. o This project-based resource involves technologies including the Internet/computers, digital cameras, and PowerPoint presentations, and a rubric for project/progress evaluation. When the floor opened for questions, the interchange was lively, with candid questions and answers and students openly communicating what each wanted the other country to know

The Webb Bridge students performed a song from "Willy Wonka", their school play the night before.

Ingredients of success included:

the students' excellent preparation and enthusiasm

the many contributions of the teacher sponsors: Chantal Béland (CA), Jacques Tremblay (CA), Isabelle Perreault (CA) and Jamie Patterson (GA) and the support of the respective schools

the many energetic efforts of Nortel Coordinators Marc Lavoie and Kathy Griffiths (CA) and Mitch Simcoe, Bob Mclendon, and Burt Weller (GA). The May exchange was attended by Nortel outreach participants Karen Fetters, Bob McLendon, and Trent Schoulz and the CIO for Fulton County Schools Michael Murray. Mme Patterson emphasized the value of the exchange for applied language skills for the students.

Some future plans may include:

establishing identifying questions by both schools for information-sharing via next meeting presentations, e.g., create "A Day in the Life" scenarios

MCS accounts for the participating teachers/schools use of the MCS web collaboration tool to share video and charts simultaneously

more extensive parental permission granting prior to the event to allow more participation